Emily Oursler

The University of Maryland, College Park
Business, Chinese Language & Literature

"After studying Chinese for five years, I always thought that I would spend my time abroad in China. However, after having visited Taiwan on a whim to study for the first time this January I quickly understood the certain “draw” that many Taiwanese-Americans mention when describing their home-country. Despite the fact that I am a blonde-haired and blue-eyed Swedish woman, I too felt that draw after my first visit. For this reason, I made the decision to attend the first Taiwan-America Student Conference. While at the Conference, I spent a considerable amount of time trying to pinpoint that “draw” that so many of my colleagues spoke of. The moment of realization came when listening to a panel of survivors of the Xiaolin (小林) Village landslide. After losing everything including their homes and family, the few survivors started a dance troupe to rebuild community amongst themselves and spread local culture. This strong sense of endurance and positivity is incredibly evident across Taiwan. In my opinion, there is nothing more rewarding than gaining new perspectives and meeting the people that pass them on. Attending TASC is a perfect opportunity to do just that, and I will be forever thankful knowing that I had the chance to do so."

Emily first attended TASC in 2014 and returned as an Executive Committee Member in 2015.